DLA Aviation Internship
I was hired in the fall of 2011 by the Defense Logistics Agency as a Contract Specialist Intern. Since then I have taken on many tasks and projects with the agency that revolve around the use of information systems. Our agency procures spare parts for weapon systems that the Navy uses some of which are shown below. We use specific ERP tools for the procurement of the spares to give us specific information like past award history(for pricing purposes), quantities demanded, and specific sources approved for business. These systems allow everyone involved in the procurement process(the Navy, Contract Specialists, and Pricers) to easily retrieve necessary information from one centralized source. One thing that took getting used to was the fact that the ERP system was created almost 20 years ago and the interface has not changed since. The internship has taught me many things like how to think on my feet, how to conduct myself professionally, and how to use information systems to my advantage. Below are some of the roles I fulfill as an intern.
Contract Specialist: As a an intern, I work to get acclimated with what our main role is with DLA Aviation- the buying of spares for Navy planes. I spent the first few months there learning about the ERP system that we use for procurement and the procurement process as a whole. Once I got comfortable with that, I began sending solicitations out to contractors to work on my own. This involves analyzing proposals against past purchases of similar items, which we can check in our database. If no history exists, then we must request price breakdowns, which we then use to negotiate to a fair and reasonable price for both DLA Aviation and the contractor. Because I have only been working on my own buys for about a year or so, I handle the small buys (less than $500K). It was an awesome feeling when I made my first award knowing I completed it from start to finish on my own.
Data Analyst: Where I work consists of four divisions that all buy parts for different aviation systems. My branch deals with the highest dollar buys, so it is important to have accurate information on the progress of buys. Using Microsoft Access and Excel, I draw all of the buys within the four sections, and give this information to my supervisor in an easy-to-read report. Pivot Tables in Excel allow me to manipulate the data and make sense of the multiple rows and columns, giving me only the pertinent statistics. I am able to determine how much money we are currently dealing with in terms of buys, how many buys our section has vs. other sections, and even the individual breakdown of buys and dollar value per buyer in each section. My experience in taking MIS 2502: Data Analytics has helped me considerably in this role and has really helped my supervisor in assigning more work to individuals and determining how well productivity is within our division.
Project Team Lead: I serve as a team lead with one of the contractors that we deal with on a regular basis, Parker Aerospace. Having this position includes planning weekly phone conferences to discuss the status of every buy- whether or not we have received proposals, if they are in negotiation, or if they are being held up from award for some reason. It is a demanding role, but it has helped me in my skills as a intern and prepared me for when I join full-time after graduation as a contract specialist.
These are just a few of the weapons systems we support at DLA Aviation in Philadelphia.
